BRAINTREE District Council has denied any wrongdoing by trying to keep plans for a huge retail complex a secret.

The authority only divulged details on three-year discussions for a 100,000 sq ft shopping centre in the town after ordered to do so by the information commissioner.

The talks with James Development were for a seven-story complex where Morrisons and the George Yard multi-storey car park in Rayne Road stand.

Graham Butland, leader of Braintree District Council, said: "These were informal discussions with the developer, which for whatever reason decided not to go ahead.

"Developers come to us all the time with ideas and we were keen to improve the development of the town centre, so this would have fallen into that strategy. I've no idea whether another developer is looking at Braintree, but we will talk to anyone who wants to invest here."

But these plans were only revealed by a Rayne Road resident, who does not wish to be named, who submitted an freedom of information (FOI) request to the authority. It initially refused to comply on the grounds that it was commercially sensitive.

But it was forced to by the information commissioner, who said that was not the case.

Cllr Butland continued: "We work within the law. We were told to disclose the information, so we did. If someone believes we have done anything wrong they should inform the chief executive or the police."

The FOI request revealed discussions between James Development, which owns the Morrisons building, and the council started in 2009.

Plans for a shopping centre three times reached an advanced stage and would have seen a seven-story mezzanine site with over 900 parking spaces.

Detailed drawings and floor plans also identified a new row of shops along the perimeter of the proposed site that would have run along the conservation area of Rayne Road and Pierefitte Way.

One idea tabled in a series of e-mails in 2010 was the idea that the council would buy the site from James Development, then lease it back in a similar arrangement the authority has with the Morrisons multi-storey car park.

But after correspondence throughout the three-year period James Development dropped the idea around March 2012.

A statement from Braintree District Council said: "There are currently no plans in place to redevelop the site, the council is not currently in correspondence with the owners of the Morrisons site, and no formal agreement has been made with either the owners, or Morrisons.

"In 2009, the council commissioned a report that examined the scope for Braintree town centre to accommodate new retail development.

"However, following discussions, James Development has not come forward with any concrete plans, and there has been no correspondence with the company since 2012."

FOUR jet ski riders and one speedboat driver have been prosecuted for travelling three times over the speed limit on the River Colne.

Steven Mann, 29, of Yare Avenue, Witham, pleaded guilty to riding a Seadoo RXP water bike at 25 nautical miles per hour in July.

All five defendants appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court charged with breaching a Colchester bylaw which states that a pleasure vehicle must not exceed a speed limit of eight nautical miles per hour in the river at Brightlingsea.

Cllr Annie Feltham, Colchester Borough Council member for communities and leisure services, said: "We are pleased that Colchester Magistrates' Court has upheld our prosecutions.

"Speed limits are in place to prevent anti-social behaviour and ensure the safety of all river users."

Mr Mann was fined £100, ordered to pay £250 costs and a £20 victim surcharge at the hearing on December 6.

The other jet ski riders were David Carter, 36, of Richard Avenue, Wivenhoe, Michael McNamara, 37, of Hazelville Road, London and Thomas Wells, 29, of Dukes Avenue, Theydon Bois.

The speedboat driver was Stuart Rider, 42, of Peto Avenue, Colchester.

RUNNING around her living room, watching Peppa Pig on TV, the only sign of Sienna Riley's life-threatening illness is the feeding tube taped to the side of her face.

But last November two-year-old Sienna was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of child cancer that attacks the body's nerve cells.

Only two months later her family discovered she also had a rare condition called cardiomyopathy that affects the heart muscle's function.

With very few symptoms it was only by chance the cancer was discovered by Sienna's father Darren Riley, 39.

He told the Chronicle: "She used to scream a lot but doctors just said she was a child that screamed a lot, then doctors said there was nothing wrong with her and said she had silent reflux.

"I found a mass under her ribs and took her to the doctor, but only after tests doctors discovered a mass on her stomach and she was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

"Neuroblastoma is a clever cancer – it can move and shift between organs so it can't be found. That's what happened at the beginning so the doctors couldn't find it because it had hidden behind her kidneys."

Once in hospital, Sienna had more tests and was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. She was given an 18 per cent chance of survival.

Parents Darren and Emma, 32, who moved to Braintree from Nottingham in 2005, spent last Christmas and the new year in hospital by Sienna's bedside as part of an eight-month stay in Great Ormond Street. They are now raising cash for lifesaving treatment in Germany or America.

Mrs Riley said: "As she was in hospital for so long everyone there got to know her and she became the little character of the ward – they all called her their little fighter.

"Her doctor at Great Ormond Street said she'd never seen a child with both conditions.

"She's really special, a lot of children have one or the other, but she is fighting two things on two fronts."

Such a long stay away from the family caused other strains and Darren's mum Lilly quit her job in Nottingham to move to Braintree and look after the couple's other three children full-time.

"This is the side of cancer people don't see – how it affects the rest of the family. People look at Sienna and because her hair has grown back people think she isn't ill," said furniture designer Mr Riley.

Sienna is now receiving intense immunisation therapy – a trial treatment that the family had to battle to keep her on due to her underlying condition that reduced her heart function to just eight per cent.

She was initially given a course of radiotherapy and high intensity chemotherapy followed by eight months of immunisation therapy.

In February, the two-year-old will undergo surgery to remove the mass around her stomach.

The family then face an agonising wait to discover if the operation is a success. There is an 80 per cent chance of a relapse.

Mrs Riley said: "She made lots of friends in Great Ormond Street. You get to meet a lot of the parents and we know of one little girl who relapsed and is in a hospice now.

"Another boy we know relapsed and he passed away before his parents could raise enough money to send him to Germany.

"Losing Sienna is not an option. If she does relapse we want to have the money ready just in case."

It costs around £14,000 to go to Germany, including flights and the cost of drugs, but to go to America the total is nearer £155,000 for just a three-month course of treatment.

So far fundraising has involved events with friends and family and amounts to just over £4,000.

But Sienna will be home for Christmas and is currently enjoying being with her siblings – Courtney, 12, Leo, 7, and Lexis, 4.

Mrs Riley said: "We're really looking forward to Christmas this year, last year was so hard on the rest of the family, we had to Skype them from hospital.

"Next year will be tough as we'll be spending most of it in hospital again, so we're making the most of now."

Visit www.gofundme.com/3j2cg4 to donate to the appeal.

A CHELMSFORD man who moved to Estonia and became the country's first black elected city councillor last year could be set to go one step further – this time in the European elections.

Abdul Turay, 47, moved to Estonia six years ago to be with his native wife, and in October last year became a councillor in the city centre district of capital city Tallinn for the Social Democratic Party with 516 votes.

His party was so impressed with the results that he has now been put forward along with 11 other of his party's top officials to compete for a seat in Brussels on May 25.

"One of the members of my party approached me. He put it to the party for me to be a candidate and they agreed," said Mr Turay, who still has a house on the Westlands Estate.

But despite being involved in Estonia for the last six years, he has not lost the typical British wariness. "I'm taking a wider view because there are a lot of things that could go wrong," said Mr Turay, who also works as a political journalist and teacher.

"Somebody might do better than me and there are other candidates who are very, very strong. Our party's really going for it. I'm campaigning against some very strong people but I'm going to be going all guns blazing."

If he reaches the European Parliament in the elections on May 25, Mr Turay's policies will centre around making the Estonian pay gap decrease between certain jobs, along with proving that the Baltic country with its 1.3 million population is not scared of neighbouring power Russia due to the current situation in the Ukraine.

"People here are used to low wages but the gap is much bigger than it should be – for teachers or police officers it's too low. It needs to change," he said.

"What Russia is doing in the Ukraine is scaring people here – they are concerned about that and if I can go to Europe it will be my mission to show that Estonia is a country that needs to be protected because it's a good place to invest."

And Mr Turay thinks that his words being picked up by the Essex Chronicle and others will give him the advantage when it comes to the final sprint to the finish.

"My mission is to promote Estonia in Europe – it will be due to the English-speaking press and it's an unusual situation because I don't look like anybody else here."

Since he was put forward by his party several weeks ago, he has been out appearing at Easter fairs all over the country and campaigning via e-mail – but he admits it could well be tough going.

"The thing I'm not that prepared for is debates. I do speak the language but I can struggle – it's very difficult.

"But it'll feel great if I get in," he added. "I'm quietly confident."

CASES heard by Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates from Monday, March 3 to Saturday, March 8.

Sent to prison

DANIEL COOPER, 28, of Gresley Drive, Braintree, was sent to prison for 16 weeks for failing to comply with the requirements of a community order made on August 22 by failing to attend two appointments in February.

It was the third breach of the order and showed a persistent and willful failure to comply.

DANIEL JAMES KARL O'HAGAN, 23, of Rennie Walk, Heybridge, was given a seven week prison sentence, consecutive to a 10 week sentence, for using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress at Chelmsford on June 26.

It was the second breach of a restraining order and was committed while on bail.

The defendant was given 10 weeks for attending the home of Nicola White at Maldon on January 31, which he was prohibited from doing.

Suspended sentence

RACHEL ROLFE, of Harberd Tye, Great Baddow, was given a six week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months for failing to notify Chelmsford City Council that she was living with a partner, which would affect her entitlement to Housing and Council Tax benefit on or about May 28, 2010.

She was also given six weeks concurrent for failing to notify Chelmsford City Council that she was working.The offences were committed over a long period of time and over £17,000 was fraudulently claimed. She must also pay an £80 victim surcharge.

Assault

REGINALD FRANK GEORGE WINCH, 49, of Rosseter Close, Great Baddow, was given a community order for assaulting Jennifer Winch by beating her at Chelmsford on January 25.

The defendant must carry out 150 hours of unpaid, supervised work within the next 12 months, pay £200 compensation, a £60 victim surcharge and £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

SONIA JANE PACKER, 41, of Oak Cottages, Boreham, was fined £390 for assaulting another person by beating at Chelmsford on November 15. She must also pay a £39 victim surcharge and £300 costs to the CPS.

DEAN ANTHONY CHALMERS, 41, of The Plovers, St Lawrence, was given a community order for assaulting Graham Russell by beating him at St Lawrence on February 12.

He must carry out 40 hours of unpaid, supervised work within the next 12 months and pay a victim surcharge of £60. He also pleaded guilty to damaging two van tyres to the value of £200 belonging to Mr Russell and must pay £150 compensation.

Breach of order

HELEN BODYCOT, 38, of St Andrews Road, Hatfield Peverel, was given an additional 10 hours unpaid work, added to the community order imposed on December 13, for failing to attend two appointments in January and February. She must pay £50 costs.

ARON BREWER, 22, of Elderfield Road, Great Notley, was fined £50 for failing to attend appointments on February 13 and October 16 as required by a community order made on March 13 last year.

SHANE BROWN, 27, of Jeffreys Road, Cressing, was given an additional 20 hours of unpaid work, added to the community order made on April 29, for failing to attend two appointments in February. He must pay £50 costs.

BENJAMIN JAMES MICHAEL HARRIS, 26, of Meadgate Avenue, Chelmsford, was given an additional 20 hours unpaid work, added to the community order made on December 11, for failing to attend three appointments in February. He must pay £50 costs.

JASON G SMITH, 44, of Murchison Close, Chelmsford, was given an additional 30 hours unpaid work, in addition to the original requirements of a suspended sentence order made on February 4. He had shown unacceptable behaviour at the initial appointment on February 7. He must pay £50 costs.

MATTHEW HAWKINS, 25, of Fox Crescent, Chelmsford, was fined £50 for failing to attend two appointments on February 8 and 9 as required by a community order made on October 1. He must also pay £50 costs.

RAMUNUS SERPENSKAS , 30, of Waveney Drive, Chelmsford, was ordered to carry out an additional 40 hours of unpaid, supervised work within the next 12 months, in addition to the requirements of a community order imposed on August 27. The defendant had failed to notify probation of a change of address and must pay £50 costs.

Criminal damage

PATRICK JOHN ANTHONY GARVEY, 26, of Chestnut Way, Tiptree, was given a community order for damaging a pane of glass to the value of approximately £500 belonging to Laura Ashley Ltd at Colchester on or about February 15.

He also pleaded guilty to damaging a police custody cell to the value of £100. He was placed under a curfew for six weeks with electronic monitoring. He must pay compensation of £200 and £50 respectively.

JESSICA RUMBELOW, 18, of Fox Crescent, Chelmsford, was given a 12 month conditional discharge for damaging a television valued at £300 belonging to Creative CD Support Services in Chelmsford on January 2.

She must pay £300 compensation plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Criminal law

GEOFFREY PETHERICK, 55, of High Street, Southminster was given a conditional discharge for 12 months after using violence to enter premises in Southminster on February 16, knowing that the person present was opposed to the entry.

The defendant was given a restraining order not to attend Cherry Orchard in Southminster and must pay £100 compensation, a £15 surcharge and £85 costs to the CPS.

Drugs - possession

LEBAN ELMI, 20, of Chancellor Road, Southend, was given an eight week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for possessing 0.7g of diamorphine a controlled class A drug in Chelmsford on June 20.

He was also given eight weeks concurrent for possessing a quantity of cannabis, a controlled class B drug. The defendant was placed under a curfew for 12 months and must pay an £80 victim surcharge and £85 costs to the CPS in addition to forfeiting the drugs and having them destroyed.

THOMAS SAM BARRETT, 18, of Windsor Way, Chelmsford, was given a community order for possessing 45.23 grams of cannabis a controlled class B drug in Chelmsford on November 19.

The defendant must attend Chelmsford Attendance Centre for 24 hours, and carry out 40 hours of unpaid, supervised work within the next 12 months. He must pay a £60 victim surcharge, £85 costs to the CPS and forfeit the drugs and paraphanelia and have them destroyed.

PAUL MOTT, 23, of Smithers Drive, Chelmsford, was fined £75 for possessing 1.5 grams of cannabis a controlled class B drug at Maldon on February 19. He must pay a £20 victim surcharge and £85 costs to the CPS in addition to forfeiting the drugs and having them destroyed.

Drunk and disorderly

LEE JAMES DAVIES, 36, of Church Street, Braintree, was fined £73 for being drunk and disorderly in Bradford Street, Braintree, on February 18. He must pay a £20 victim surcharge and £85 costs to the CPS.

Theft – shoplifting

ALEX JOHN BARRACLOUGH, 44, of Tanners Meadow, Braintree, was given a community order for stealing a PS Vita valued at £159 from Tesco in Braintree on February 19 and a 32in LED television valued at £219 from Tesco in Braintree on February 18.

The defendant must carry out 60 hours of unpaid, supervised work within the next 12 months, pay a victim surcharge of £60 and £219 compensation.

RICHARD ANTHONY MAYERS, 41, of Holkham Avenue, South Woodham Ferrers, was given a 12 month conditional discharge after stealing a sandwich valued at £2.75 from Marks & Spencer in Chelmsford on February 18.

He must pay a victim surcharge of £15 and £85 costs to the CPS.

Theft – other

DASHNOR MUHADIR, 26, of Bryony Close, Witham, was ordered to pay £150 compensation after stealing a quad bike to the value of £200 belonging to Dean Lane at Witham on June 5.

Wilful obstruction

STEFAN ISAAC POELMAN, 18, of Melbourne Avenue, Chelmsford, was fined £30 for willfully obstructing a Police Constable in the execution of his duty at Chelmsford on February 13. He must also pay a £20 victim surcharge.

Careless driving

WILLIAM ANTHONY JOHN BUTCHER, 19, of Garnetts Lane, Felsted, was given five penalty points on his licence for driving along the A120 at Dunmow at speeds of between 90 and 105mph and driving without due care and attention on August 4.

While travelling at speed, as he approached the slip road, and suddenly moved across the road to exit the A120 causing a vehicle in the inside lane to brake to avoid a collision. He was fined £110 and must pay a £20 victim surcharge and £90 costs.

ANDREW HETT, 37, of Kenworthy Road, Braintree, was given nine penalty points for driving without due care and attention along the A120 at Braintree on December 24.

An accident occurred which damaged another vehicle and he failed to stop. He was fined £500 and must pay a £50 victim surcharge and £85 costs to the CPS.

CRAIG ANTHONY FREWIN, 24, of Waveney Drive, Chelmsford, was given six points on his licence for driving without due care and attention in Chelmsford on July 31.

While driving along Springfield Road the defendant revved his engine loudly at red traffic lights, and as he pulled away the tyres were spinning.

The vehicle then sped off overtaking a police vehicle, causing the officer to brake to prevent a collision. Having pulled in front of the police the defendant slowed his vehicle almost to a standstill before pulling away quickly.

He must pay a fine of £240 plus a £24 victim surcharge and £90 costs.

Unreasonable consideration

DARREN LEE PARKER, 25, of Long Green, Cressing, was disqualified from driving for six months due to repeat offending after driving along Long Green on July 23 without reasonable consideration for other persons using that road.

The defendant pulled across the opposite carriageway and collided with a vehicle that was travelling along it causing severe damage and injuries. He was fined £600 and must pay a £60 victim surcharge and £90 costs.

No licence or insurance

JOSHUA KENNETH KIRKLEY, 35, of Savernake Road, Chelmsford, was given six penalty points on his licence for driving along the A120 at Braintree on February 14 without a valid driving licence or insurance. He was fined £110 and must pay a £20 victim surcharge and £85 costs to the CPS.